Chapter 39: An Urgent Summons from the Agent, Meeting Tang in the Magic City

Leaving the miHoYo studio, Zhang Qianjun noticed that Kan Qingzi seemed quite excited. He was curious about what exactly had sparked her enthusiasm.

"Honey, do you really think highly of them?"

"I wouldn't say highly, exactly. It's just that I feel they have potential. After all, they are four masters degree holders from Jiao Tong University—that’s a combined 76 years of hard study."

Kan Qingzi thought for a moment before deciding to speak her mind. "But I think they see you as a total sucker."

*Smack!* A sharp pat made Kan Qingzi hop slightly.

"Why did you hit me?" she muttered, clutching her backside.

"To punish you for your disrespect toward Heaven!"

Recalling the events of the previous night, Kan Qingzi felt a sense of helplessness and blurted out, "Heaven, my foot! You’re nothing but a fart!"

The night before, the couple had checked into the Grand Hyatt at Jin Mao Tower in Lujiazui. Intending to experience the high-end suites of five-star hotels in different cities, they had booked a Diplomat Suite. Upon entering, they found the decor rather ordinary, but it had the advantage of a high floor and floor-to-ceiling windows. The entrance led to a small bar, followed by a large living room filled with expansive windows. One had to admit, looking down at Lujiazui from the 80th floor was quite a unique experience.

As soon as they entered, Kan Qingzi began taking photos. Zhang Qianjun, however, saw it as a perfect location for his film. He imagined that after his protagonist, Chen Xiaozheng, returned from abroad in *So Young*, he could stay here. The perspective of looking down at the metropolis from such a height would perfectly highlight the shift in the protagonist's mindset—a poor boy who had struggled to go abroad, married and divorced for the sake of his career, and finally returned home successful.

While Zhang Qianjun was deep in thought about how to film the scene, Kan Qingzi grabbed his arm. "Take advantage of the view and let's take more photos together."

With his train of thought interrupted, they began their kissing-and-posing session. He never understood why women loved taking photos so much.

As they continued, Zhang Qianjun suddenly felt the scene was familiar. *This place isn't just good for So Young; it would be perfect for a scene like in a 'hostel' film. The wine cabinet, the bar, these huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the matching bathroom with windows, the view of Lujiazui—what was the sequence of that film again?*

He acted on his impulse. A moment later, Kan Qingzi watched in confusion as Zhang Qianjun pulled out a bag of alcohol wipes and began cleaning the glass.

"What are you doing?"

"Disinfecting it. It’s cleaner this way," he said, focused on his work, not even looking back. He even pushed against the glass with his hand as if testing its sturdiness.

"Since when have you been so obsessed with cleanliness?" Kan Qingzi felt increasingly bewildered.

A while later, she finally understood why the man was cleaning the glass.

"This is so tiring. Can we change positions? My arms feel like they're being pulled out of their sockets."

"Don't you think it's interesting that all you can see is either the sky or me? Doesn't it feel like I am your heaven?"

*???* Why was this man's brain so uniquely twisted!

"You idiot, let me down!"

"For your insolence toward Heaven, I shall act on Heaven's behalf and punish this restless little vixen! Taste my halberd!"

***

Back at the office, the four men were in high spirits.

"We need a workstation! I’ve had enough of this crappy computer. We need at least three!" Zhou Yuhao was dancing with excitement, his earlier gloom completely vanished.

"A raise, we must have a raise! It doesn't have to be much, just enough to meet the standard for fresh master's graduates from our school," Jin Zhicheng declared his most pressing need. He couldn't go on like this without a pay increase.

"We need to hire an illustrator! Do you have any idea how hard it is to juggle five roles and draw characters at night?" Liu Wei insisted on expanding the team. No slave-driving company would make one person do the work of five.

Cai Haoyu watched his excited teammates, his own heart racing. But he felt there was one most important thing to do first.

"We go register the company officially this afternoon, and then we have a celebration dinner! We’re going to have a real feast!"

"Definitely! We’re finally going to splurge. I’m not going anywhere that isn't at least three-star Michelin!"

"That won't work," Cai Haoyu immediately vetoed. "The money hasn't arrived yet. It’ll be a joke if we can't pay the bill at a Michelin restaurant. Let’s go to that Chaoshan hotpot place downstairs; that’s pretty good."

The others agreed that Chaoshan hotpot was great—they usually couldn't afford it, and even if they went, they didn't dare order freely. Someone then suggested, why wait until night? Let's go now. They immediately decided to give themselves the afternoon off, headed to the hotpot restaurant, and began dreaming of the future over slices of beef.

With the investment settled, Zhang Qianjun and Kan Qingzi resumed their cycle of eating, playing, shopping, and intimacy. After two more days of fun, the "Glasses Guy" called.

"Qianjun, when are you coming back to deal with the investment? The crew is waiting for you to finalize the cast."

"Is it urgent? I haven't finished dealing with my business investments here," Zhang Qianjun replied, claiming he was too busy to get away.

"Is your 'business investment' taking your girlfriend home to meet the parents, eating bibimbap at Jiao Tong, staying at the Grand Hyatt, shopping on Nanjing Road, kissing on the Bund, and taking your beauty on a night cruise on the Huangpu River?"

Zhang Qianjun felt a bit embarrassed. "These are just moments of relaxation during business. Besides, how did you know?"

The Glasses Guy raised his voice. "Big brother, you might not be as famous as those TV stars, but you’re not the invisible nobody you used to be! Do you know what Weibo is? And even if it’s relaxation, you’ve been at it long enough! Get back here! Do you have any idea how many people are waiting for you to start work?"

Seeing that the usually unflappable Glasses Guy had lost his temper, Zhang Qianjun felt ashamed and promised to pack up and be on a flight the next day.

"Today, go meet someone. Ji Rujing from Orange Sky wants to see you. She knows you’re in Shanghai and specifically took leave from her production to meet you."

"Ji Rujing? I remember she used to sing. Why is she looking for me?"

"She stopped singing long ago; she’s an agent now. She manages the 'Orange Sky Seven Fairies.' You probably know their star, Tang Yan, who played in *Chinese Paladin 3*. She’s looking for you because of *So Young*, obviously. Do me a favor, old brother, and just go meet her. We had a relationship back when I was at Wheat Field Music, and she’s called me countless times recently. Just meeting her, regardless of whether it works out, fulfills the social obligation."

After hanging up, Zhang Qianjun looked at his girlfriend. "I have a meeting at noon. An agent from Orange Sky wants to talk about roles in *So Young*. Do you want to come?"

Kan Qingzi hesitated slightly. "It might be awkward if I go. You go ahead, I’ll head back to the hotel."

"Alright, go eat at the hotel. I’m off."

***

At the agreed-upon location, a relatively high-end café, Zhang Qianjun climbed to the second floor and saw the two women waving at him from afar.

*Ho*, both the agent and the artist were quite tall and polite. At least, they were much more polite than those who showed up late with their agents.

They sat in a corner, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhang Qianjun got straight to the point.

"Have you both read the original work? The female lead is already set. Of the remaining five named female roles, the only ones suitable for Tang Yan are the second lead, Ruan Guan, and the fifth lead, Shi Jie. Which one do you want?"

The two women looked at each other in shock. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Ji Rujing spoke up.

"Mr. Zhang, can the female lead not be negotiated further?"

"No. Even if Liu Yifei came, at most she’d be the second lead." Zhang Qianjun kept his head down, eating his pasta as he delivered his answer.

"Then, can we lock in the second lead?"

Zhang Qianjun looked up and smiled. "What are you thinking? Such a big project, and we're going to decide it in one meeting? Even if I were a tyrant, I can't act as if others don't exist, right? If the connections are right, Shi Jie is no problem, but for Ruan Guan, I doubt you can outbid the others."

Ji Rujing asked, "Can you tell us who the competitors are?"

"I don't know," Zhang Qianjun shook his head. "But Enlight Media, China Film Group, and Wanda all have their own actresses. It will basically be decided among those three."

Ji Rujing’s expression became even more helpless. Trying to snatch a role from those three was beyond the power of both her and her company.

At this moment, Tang Yan, who had been quietly observing Zhang Qianjun, asked a question. "Can I know who the female lead is?"

Zhang Qianjun glanced at the owner of the voice. She had a truly pleasant voice, and sitting there, she really did give off the "your love remains quiet" vibe from the song. She should be dating Qiu Ze right now, right? *Sigh, what a poor choice in men. It seems the '85 flowers' all have terrible taste in men. Not one of them is reliable.*

"My girlfriend, Kan Qingzi."

The tall, slender figure, who looked somewhat seductive, asked another soft, sweet question. "Did she also have to compete with the other three companies to get the role?"

*Heh heh heh.* Zhang Qianjun didn't know if the person opposite was acting or playing dumb, but it didn't matter to him.

"If my girlfriend had to fight people just to play the lead in my movie, then I’d be a pretty incompetent boyfriend, wouldn't I?"

Perhaps feeling a bit mischievous, Zhang Qianjun added, "Do you have to go out and pull strings just to play the lead in your boyfriend's film?"